Container for transporting hot food



` l 622,494 March 29 1927 L. c. cRANsToN CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORTING HOT FOOD INVENTOR.

L unie Collier Cranston 4 1,622,494 l.. c. cRANsToN CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORTING HOT FOOD March 29 1927.

Filed Nov. 2. 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Rg :Flg-

x fY 2l f A I i l INVENTOR. L mma Enlher Eransnn BY 9 I( l I TRNEY.

Patented Mar. 2.9, 1927..-

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUII COLLIER CRANSTON, F CITY, IIBBUBI.

CQNTAINER FOB TBANSPOBTING`HOT 100D.

Application led Iovember, 1925. Serial lo. 86,259.

4rlhis invention relates to novelly con structed containers especially adapted for transporting hot foods from their lace of preparation to the consumer, an'd is esigned '5 particularly for use by catering companies who carry on the business of sending Ahot meals to parties some distance from their kitchens.

It is the primaryobject of the present inlo vention to provide a sim le and extremely etlicient .container for ood transporting purposes which is cheap to make, not hard to keep clean and sanitary, and from which the consumer may easily remove the stack of food containers with the slightest inconvenience.

A still further object of this invention is the contemplation of an eective vclamping means for removably securing a separate heating member to the main receptacle of the device whereby the same may be rigidl held in place by the feet of the user simu taneously with the actuating of the clamps.

An even further object of the present 1nvention is the provision of a rack for the stack of food containers which may be used in removing the entire stack as a unit, and which is also so constructed that the successive containers'may be lifted therefrom without interference.

`Many minor objects will appear V'during the course of the specification referring to the accompanying drawing, illustrating but one form of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a food container made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the attachable heating means removed from. the main rece tacle.

ig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line V--V of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6-llustrates the stack of nested food containers and lifting rack entirely removed from the device, and, p

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged'detail views of the clamping device used to retain the underlying heating means in place.

Referring at this time to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 9 designates the main rece tacle which is preferabl cylindrical in s ape, having its-vei'tcal si es only lined with asbestos or analogous heat retaining substance 10 and having a lid 12 similarly lined as at 13 whereby heat passing The li'd 12 may have a suitable handlef15', and a bail 16 may be employed to afford a means of ca ing the device.

A cylindrical wall 17, having an annular fiange -18 at the bottom thereof is supported by bottom 14 inside the receptaclel 9, and retained in spaced relation to the insulated walls thereofby rivets or 'similar means 19.

P 4through the unlined bottom 14 is eiectlvel lretained within the receptacle.

This wall 17 forms an open top receptacle which is closed when lid 12 is in place.

A pluralit of food containers 20, nested as shown in ig. 2 to form a stack with the topmost container closed by a lid 21, are used to hold the various kinds of foods to be transported, and a rack, is supplied to maintain the containers in the nested position as well as to aiord means for convenient-ly removing the same when the food is delivered.

This rackconsists of a lower ring 22 .which has an inturned flange 23 to bear the weight of all containers 20. An upper ring 24 extends but part way around an'd is joined to lower rin 22 by vertical bars 25 which should be o set to present an inner surface on the same plane as the inner surface of each ring 22 and 24. It is preferred to construct the rack by using three bars 25 and having one diametrically opposite the center of the cut away portlon of the upper ring 24. Ring 24 carries a pair of op positely disposed lifting handles 26 which may be folded 'down when 4the lid is in ing transported, a removable member 27 of a diameter equal to that. of the main receptacle is ro'vide'd which carries a cup orsimilar hol er 28. to be illed with fuel to be burned, suchas charcoal. The novelmeans ofremovably clamping member 27 in place comprises a hook 29, carried by receptacle 9,

lwhich is engaged by a clam ing member 30 -pivot-ally sup orted interme iate its ends by a pin 3l, hel in place by outstanding ears 32 rigid with member 27. The upper end of member 30 is hooked to engage ook 29 as shown in Fig. 8, and the lower end thereof extends downwardly into a slight groove formed in radially disposed lugl 33 beneath each clamp member 30. An inclined surace or cam surface 84.- is formed by lug` 33, and the lower end of member 30 rests upon the lower-most point thereof when the members are interlocked. A small spring 35 may be u-'ed to yieldably maintain -member 30 in position.

To unlock the clamp, it is preferred to use the foot. By stepping upon the outer exposed portion of each lug 33, and pushing inwardly against lower end of member 30, 'spring 35 yields, inclined surface 34 pushes upwardly and slot 36 permits member 30 to slide upwardly and pivot around pin 31 to a point where its upper hooked end isvout of engagement with member 29. While the removable member 27 is held in position against the floor, main receptacle 9 may be lifted ott'. The clamp will automatically snap into the locked position when receptacle 9 is replaced.

The operation of the device has been made clear throughout the specification, and it is obvious that it may be used to a great advantage in carrying on the business of transport-ing hot foods to persons in hotels or rooming houses from a kltchen located some distance therefrom.

'a mainfrece tacle having an What I/claim and desire to secure by LetterstPatent is: f

1. In a device of the character described, n to and an integral c osed bottom, a lid or sai open top, said lid and the side walls only of said receptacle being lined4 with heat retaining substance, means Within said main receptacle for maintaining a stack of food containers spaced apart from said walls,a nd heating means attachable beneath the bottom of said main receptacle, said spacing means comprising an annular continuous wall supported and retained in spaced relation by attachment to the bottomof said `main receptacle and having its upper end closed by said insulated lid, Said spacinr wall .providing a dead air space adjacent said heat retaininv lining.

2. In a container for transporting hot food, a main receptacle having an open top and an integral closed bottom, a lid for said open top, said lid and the side walls only of said receptacle being lined with heat retaining substance, an annular continuous Wall attached to Aand supported on said bottom, said Wall extending upwardly to a point adjacent said lid and spaced from the side", of said receptacle to form a dead air space, a stack of food containers supported on,said bottom and held spaced from the sides of said receptacle by said annular wall, a compartment located below said closed bottom and adapted to hold a heating means and quick detachable means for connectingl said receptacle and compartment.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

LoUIE COLLIER CRANsToN. 

